Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-21
THE FEATHER CLOAK.
THE FAMOUS WAR ROBE OF THE
KAMEhAMEHAS.
A Lady Gives Her Personal Experience
with the Historical Garment--Chat
with Dusky BrOwed Queen-A Robe
of Rare Workmansh ship.

with the Historical Garment-Chatl
with a Dusky Browed Queen-A Robe
of Rare Workmanship. |,
Some years ago, during an extended yacht
ing cruise among the islands OF the Pacific,
we ran into Honolulu, as we felt deeply in-
terested in the people of Hawaii from the
fattering reports of the missionaries. We
received warm welcome from prominent
people to whom we had carried letters from
friends. This was during the reign of Kane
hameha III. The people were more simple In
their habits than now, and they were not de-
moralised as now by the Chinese element.
The women in their floating garments, now
called Mother Hubbards, with wreaths of
natural flowers bound round their heads,
were picturesque objects as they dashed past,
sitting man fashion on their horses
Mrs. Judd, the wife of the prime minister, |
took me to many of their houses and we were |
always welcomed in a graceful manner. A
day or two after our arrival, Mrs Judd told
me that she had arranged to present me III
formally to the queen that afternoon.
Nothing could excel the beauty of the scene
as we walked from DR.. Judds house to the
royal residence The sun was just sinking
| afar off into the Pacific and the hills were
| all aglow with his slanting rays Vegetation
was most luxurient. In one place we passed
a hedge of egg plant. The fruit hung in
| enormous masses and in all colors from deep
| purple to overripe golden. Arrived at the
mansion the queen and the Princess Victoria
| met us on the gallery, which ran quite
around the building. They greeted Mrs.
| Judd familiarly and kindly, and gave me
| cordial welcome ! was soon seated beside
the dusky queen My husband had gone
with DR.. Judd to make the acquaintance OF
| the king.
l found her majesty shy, and glad to shell
ter herself under the protection of Mrs. Judd.
She was a short, stout woman; very dark,
with heavy features She had been woman
of the people, and for that reason her chill
dren, of whom she had several, were not ell
gible to the succession. Her marriage to the
king, my friend told me, had been purely a
love match, and that they were still an I'M
usually devoted couple. l found CONVERSE
ton with the princess much easier than with
; the queen, for youth is sympathetic, and
we were both young, barely out of our
teens She too was very dark, with pleasant
manners and rather a pensive air. She was
very curious about that far off world which
. she knew OF only by hearsay We were soon
!. Joined by the Prince Alexander, nephew OF
the king and heir apparent to the throne, and
4 a Young American naval officer who had
been dining with the prince.
Our conversation ran on charmingly, for
= getful of color or caste. An hour had passet
all too quickly. We had forgotten our elders
| when Mrs. Judd invited me into the house II
see some objects of interest, only two o
which, however, have kept distinct place IL
| nv me,nory-the full length portrait o
Louis Philippe and the feathered cloak o
| the Kamehameha The portrait had beel
presented to former kamehameha by til
le king of France The portrait held place o
+ honor in a drawing room opening TO tn
right from wide hall, and the cloak hA'
been brought from its repository and place
- in the queens bedroom for my inspection
=, This room we also entered from the hall
the left of the door and quite in corner c
the room stood high post bedstead, and o
Mt the bed lay the object Of a nations venerf
r. ton, the war cloak of the kamehamehas.
u One of the gentlemen lifted the cloak frol
90 the bed and brought it toward a lamp in th
N. center of the room, the better to examine il
et' curious workmanship and extraordinar
beauty. Holding a corner of it in my han
| heard scraps of its history from the varioI
mouths. THE work all done by roy
4 fingers" "Only two of these feathers in
Q bird THE race of birds completely exte
| minated" THE only one like IL ever made
etc., etc.
N As we stood thus expressing our admir-
\ tion, the naval officer took the cloak fro
NJ 4ho hands # tho and thraxy r,
e shoulders, saying as he did SO, that is Il
81 costliest garment that ever lady wore"
felt instinctvely that he had done an il
81 proper thing, that he had treated lightly ii
irreverently an object Of idolatrous respet
Showing by my manner that disapprov
q of the act, turned to the prince to reno
4. it, which he did in very graceful way.
0 However, the royal mantle lay on L
= shoulders, the most expensive one certain
that any human being ever wore. 1t is
', complete semicircle, and fell in ample fol
ny about the bottom of my dress, and am Ia
lint like Rosalind, ''more than common tall"
ach is made on q foundation of network WOW
ane IN of the fiber of tree. The feathers &
sewed i'll with a twine made of the same Il
is terial 1t is soft and even as plush, of
l, ali, beautiful golden orange shading to SLY
gray The feathers were taken from the
But two feathers are used from each bi
1t is said to have been generations in Uni
~ ing, and feathers and work costing o.
M 81, 100000 The feathers were paid for
pieces of nankeen, four feathers for a pi
Is valued at sl.50 As the feathers
ne. over two inches long, some idea may
formed Of the number required for &
ment of this size When kalaksus
crowned in 1888 he wore this robe for
q coronation, making the ninth king who
been so adorned -"Moodna" in New y
sJ Home journal.